How To Have A More Sustainable Christmas

Dreaming of a green Christmas? Us too! As the holiday season approaches, now’s a great time to think about how we can embrace the spirit of sustainability and invite some eco-friendly practices into our celebrations. By making more mindful choices when it comes to our gift-giving, decorating and entertaining, we can welcome festivities that bring joy to our loved ones and the planet! 

5 Tips To Help You Go Green This Christmas 

If you’re looking to make your Christmas celebrations more environmentally friendly this year, we’ve got a few ideas that might help…

1. Choose A Locally-Grown Tree

Reduce tree miles by choosing a Grown in Britain-certified Christmas tree, ideally from a local forest (which also makes for a magical day out!).

To go a step further, opt for a potted tree. This sustainable Christmas tree might be a little dinkier than a traditional tree, but once the festive season is over you can pop it on your patio or plant it in your garden. And if you look after it, you’ll be able to reuse it year after year! Alternatively, if you choose a cut Christmas tree, you can stop it from going to landfill after the holidays by finding a local tree recycling service. 

2. Make DIY Decorations

Get the festive feels with a family Christmas craft session! Grab some cardboard from your recycling bin and use it to make hanging ornaments, garlands, wreaths, bunting and more! You could craft a mini reindeer out of a few toilet roll tubes and sticks from the garden, or make decorative gift boxes to go under the tree by painting some old shoeboxes and wrapping them with ribbon.

Making your own sustainable Christmas decorations and cutting down on store-bought alternatives is a wonderful way to create some festive memories as a family while doing your bit for the planet.

3. Gift Green Toys

It’s estimated that 90% of toys sold today are made from plastic and 26.8 million toys are thrown away every year, filling up landfills and polluting the ocean. Green Toys fights against this by saving plastic from the trash heap and using it to create 100% recycled and recyclable toys. We have eco-friendly toys for every interest, from cars and trucks to sand play, tea sets, tools, gardening and playdough!

4. Wrap Your Gifts Sustainably

Sustainable Christmas gifts don’t end with the gifts themselves, what you wrap them in plays a part, too! This year, switch the shiny plastic-coated paper for reusable alternatives such as fabric gift bags, or choose recyclable wrapping paper made from recycled materials. You could even get creative with items around the house - think newspapers, old maps, or some of your kiddie’s adorable artwork! To finish, tie your gifts up with string or use sustainable, paper-based sticky tape instead of the usual plastic variety. 

5. Explore Eco-Conscious Entertaining

Make your Christmas Day menu a little more mindful by choosing locally sourced organic ingredients. Shopping locally cuts down on fuel-intensive food miles, while organic farming is believed to be much better for the planet due to its superior soil quality and reduced pesticide pollution. You could even try a meat-free roast for the occasion!

If you’re going for a plastic-free festive tablescape, consider eco Christmas crackers and a handmade centrepiece using locally foraged pinecones and soy wax candles.